The gift of the Kings arrived in Aranda de Duero at noon on December 12, when luck, with the help of two soccer players, wished the real Madrid is the team against which the average local Arandina CF will face each other in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.
There are only 24 hours left for the match that many describe as historic – the event will take place at 9:30 pm on January 6 at the Juan Carlos Higuero sports complex in the river capital – football has flooded every corner of the city. villa and rarely is the conversation that doesn’t start with ‘are you going to the game tomorrow?’.
Store windows are decorated with the white and blue colors of the local team, game tickets have become an important gift for raffles and initiatives, and everyone is making plans for the event.
“We are impatient for the match. This is a historic, unique opportunity. Of course in the field of sports but also in terms of promoting the city. Not only for the short-term return of the match tomorrow but for the long-term external projection Aranda deadline because it is an event that is broadcast around the world,” said Arandino mayor, Antonio Linaje.
Aware of the importance of the meeting, the councilor, the Municipality has worked from the first minute on its organization, both in financial and material resources and personnel, where the citizens will be fully informed when everything is finished.
The club offices were noisy from the first moment. Although there were no such impressive queues in the early days, when the tickets went on sale, the trickle of fans who came to get a ticket continues even today.
“We have decided that now we will put 400 tickets on sale and that’s it. The total capacity, although we are considering reaching 10,000, will ultimately remain at 8,500 because we want to guarantee the safety and comfort of a historic event. It is said that greed breaks the bag and that is what we will avoid,” he said Francisco Galán, secretary of Arandina.
Aside from the more formal data, the intention is for the event to be a party. The authorities recommend that people go to the municipal stadium at least two hours in advance and make the wait for the initial whistle more bearable, likely to endure sub-zero temperatures, the performances of the locals group is scheduled to help warm the atmosphere.
“It’s not the Superbowl but it will be similar. We have local artists who will help create the atmosphere,” said Galán, saying that Sonorama Ribera festival promoters participated in the organization of the meeting. , which every August brings together more than 120,000 people in Aranda.
Between normality and abnormality
For the rest, the town lives normally but with sights set on the playoffs. A town like Aranda, where the daily activity of hospitality plays a central role, accepts with resignation that the event of the century falls on a holiday where, in itself, reservations are filled by local clients.
“The most terrifying activity these days is getting on the phone to decline reservations. On Three Kings’ Day, people in Aranda go out to eat and we’ve got everyone for more than a month. So with great regret we have to decline. But Yes, we hope that this match shows us and they will come later,” he said. Rafael Miguel, from Asador Florencio.
Similar terms are used Gerardo Sancha, from Asador El Pastor. He knows that tonight he will have to work hard but he warns that almost everything is for Arandino’s clients, who come to eat at the same restaurant or order a few quarters of lamb roasted in a wood oven for home .
“But the people from outside, we are not waiting. Some television equipment and little else. Although Roberto Carlos is excited and still shows here,” joked the grill master to one of the institutional representatives of the White House .
Those with the bar have really seen how in recent weeks, and especially in recent days, the main topic of conversation has been the game. Some even admitted to getting calls from acquaintances they hadn’t spoken to in years to see if there was a possibility of getting a ticket.
The heart is divided
Although if there is one place where people with a special interest for the game are waiting, it is at the headquarters of madridista club La Ribera, the only official group of merengue fans in the region.
“It’s cool to be able to play like this in Aranda. We’ve been with Cádiz, which was before, and now in Madrid… The difference in quality is evident, but we’ll see how everything is,” Luis Pastor ventured. , president of the club.
In their case, they received 50 tickets directly from Real Madrid. A number that is lacking because many more applications were received than them. And this, despite the fact that the number of partners is more than that number.
To kill the wait, the Arandinos will be taken to the streets this Friday to receive His Majesty the Three Wise Men of the East, but it is known that among the packs of their camels will not be found the main gift that the town received in Many years. . This one has been in place for a few weeks now and will be fully enjoyed tomorrow.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
